Battle of Setauket

The Battle of Setauket (22 August 1777) was a minor skirmish of the American Revolutionary War that took place in Setauket, Long Island, New York. Major Benjamin Tallmadge led a unit of 50-100 Continental Army and New York militia troops in a raid against his hometown of Setauket to rescue 10 captured patriots, including his father Benjamin Tallmadge, Sr., and the action left around 3 dead on both sides. The Americans succeeded in rescuing 8 of the prisoners, with 2 already being executed on the orders of Captain John Graves Simcoe, who disobeyed orders by Major Edmund Hewlett to keep them alive. The British remained in control of Setauket, and the Americans' success was limited to the rescue of the 8 prisoners.

Background
In the spring of 1777, General William Howe decided to launch a naval attack on Philadelphia with 3,000 British troops, which would move north towards Long Island and board a fleet of 100 vessels to form an expeditionary force. Benjamin Tallmadge learned of this from Abraham Woodhull and the Culper Ring, and he informed General George Washington of this plan immediately. Washington decided to fool the British by sending Benedict Arnold and an army north to Ridgefield, Connecticut to lead the British into believing that their plan was working. The 500-strong contingent of militia and dragoons marched north until a local man from Setauket (Tallmadge's home) named Walter Havens informed him that his father Benjamin Tallmadge, Sr. had been arrested and was going to be executed for conspiracy, as was Lucas Brewster, the uncle of Lieutenant Caleb Brewster. They decided to launch a raid on Setauket to free the patriots before they could be hanged, and they fit their men on some whaleboats, heading off to Setauket. When they arrived, William Blaine and his son Tom located three more whaleboats that separated from the main group, revealing the Americans' arrival. Tom Blaine informed Major Edmund Hewlett that the Americans had arrived, and Hewlett decided to speed up the hangings. Hewelett sent Ensign Baker to inform Captain Floyd at Sag Harbor that the British needed reinforcements and the armed vessel that he had loaned to him to help him in shipping his tobacco, and Captain John Graves Simcoe led his men to gather the prisoners and lead them to the gallows, while Hewlett had Judge Richard Woodhull stay behind to defend Whitehall from a likely attack.

Takeover of the town
As the nooses were being drawn, the Americans came out of the woods to attack the British. Simcoe attempted to hang the prisoners without being ordered to do so, killing Moses Paine by kicking down the stand to the gallows and allowing Paine to suffocate on the noose. British regulars were assembled, firing down on the militia and striking down two. However, further conflict was avoided when Simcoe held Benjamin Tallmadge, Sr. at gunpoint, leading to his son ordering his men to fall back. The town had been captured, but Simcoe had the prisoners be led to the church. The Continentals searched the town for any prisoners, rounding up the townspeople and captured British soldiers. Tallmadge ordered Caleb Brewster to herd the people into the DeJong Tavern, and he had the Continentals load up on the 200 barrels of gunpowder stored in the old schoolhouse in preparation for an assault against the British position at the church, which was fortified by ripped-out gravestones. Hewlett refused to let his artillery fire due to the possibility that they could hit the gallows, and he reprimanded Simcoe for hanging Paine. He ordered the second complement of artillery to destroy the powder store, which they did, causing a large explosion; however, the rebels were able to secure some powder. The explosion rocked the tavern, and Tallmadge decided that the British were going to bombard them unless the rebels could strike the garrison.

Attack on the garrison
Tallmadge sent Selah Strong and a group of Continental troops up the ridge, advancing undetected before firing on the artillerymen. The Continentals had the element of surprise and were able to kill a few redcoats before Simcoe decided to use the prisoners in the church as hostages, and a runner told Tallmadge about the situation. The Continentals decided to use Abraham Woodhull as the man to deliver their terms (Brewster and Tallmadge knew that he was with them, as he was a member of the Culper Ring with them), and Woodhull was able to negotiate the release of the 9 prisoners in exchange for the captured British troops and a withdrawal from the town. Simcoe mutinied and took Lucas Brewster and executed him outside of the church in an attempt to provoke the rebels to attack the church, as Simcoe did not want to let the rebels get away with the prisoners. Simcoe returned to the church, where he was gagged and arrested after much resistance, and Richard Woodhull convinced Hewlett to unconditionally release the 8 prisoners. The prisoners were released, and Tallmadge ordered his men to withdraw. The raid cost around 3 dead for the Americans and around the same for the British, and the Americans were allowed to withdraw. Captain Floyd's men arrived too late to fight, with their ship and their troops arriving as the Americans were retreating. The result was the freeing of the captured patriots, but the British maintained control of Setauket.